The ongoing measles outbreak centered in Texas continues to grow. In Texas itself, 561 cases have now been confirmed. The federal government announced it is sending 7 staffers to aid Texas in its fight against the highly contagious virus. David Sugerman, an expert from Division of Viral Diseases at the CDC, said efforts to curb the outbreak are impeded by the Trump Administration’s cancellation of $11 billion in grants that funded programs to monitor, prevent and control infectious diseases. “We are scraping to find the resources and personnel needed to provide support to Texas and other jurisdictions,” explained Sugerman.
Since the outbreak began in Texas in late January, the outbreaks have expanded to nearby states including New Mexico, Tennessee and Kansas. The virus has also spread to Mexico.
The Texas-centered outbreak is already second-worst measles outbreak in the country since the virus was eliminated domestically in 2000. Nationally, steadily declining vaccination rates are allowing measles outbreaks to occur in all regions. So far this year, 760 infections have been confirmed across 24 states, including New Jersey. Many experts caution, however, that this is a massive undercount of the true number of infections.
Full Story: Associated Press, CNN
